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The OnePlus 7 could be coming to all big four US carriers

Published: Apr 19, 2019, 8:13 AM

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The OnePlus 7 could be coming to all big four US carriers

The OnePlus 6T works fine on AT&T and Verizon in addition to T-Mobile

Last fall's OnePlus 6T launch marked a momentous achievement for a 2013-founded company that had already managed to make incredible progress without much of a retail presence in some of the world's biggest smartphone markets. The brand's first handset to be sold through a major US carrier in addition to its own regional e-store quickly surpassed the global popularity of its predecessor while garnering a lot of attention from T-Mobile customers.

That undoubtedly made a crucial contribution to the company's major increase in worldwide premium market share for 2018, helping OnePlus rank among the top five US vendors in the high-end segment during Q4. Unsurprisingly, the ambitions of the China-based "flagship killers" seem to have gone up a notch, as three slightly different high-enders are looming large on the horizon.

Judging from the apparent success of the brand's first collaboration with T-Mobile, we always expected to see the OnePlus 7 released on the nation's leading "Un-carrier." But what if that's only a small piece of the next-gen handset's US network support puzzle? That's right, we're starting to believe at least one OP7 variant might be headed for several major wireless service providers stateside.

Something's definitely brewing for Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint subscribers

While OnePlus is still a fairly small company, its current list of global job openings is quite lengthy, including primarily India-based positions. But eagle-eyed Redditors have noticed a handful of essentially identical ads for US vacancies as well. Believe it or not, these specifically mention the three big carriers OnePlus doesn't have a direct relationship with just yet.

Future "senior technical account managers" will have a bunch of duties and responsibilities, some of which are described vaguely enough to not give much away. At the same time, the ideal candidates need to show a "deep understanding of carrier product development" to serve as the "primary contact person for carrier-related product engineering." Prior experience with the "overall carrier product approval process" is also required, all signs therefore pointing in the same general direction.

Namely, it's pretty obvious OnePlus is looking to ramp up its efforts of getting future devices approved for Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint use. Of course, the company's unlocked phones have been fully compatible with AT&T's network for ages, while the 6T also works just fine at Big Red. Hence, this is not only about carrier compatibility, but rather proof OnePlus is working on getting its products sold through all big four US networks.

So many options, so few answers

Now that we've established the apparent facts, the key question is what can we expect to see on T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint and how soon? Naturally, all we can do right now is venture a guess and rule the oft-rumored OnePlus 7 Pro out of contention to start with. That's the larger and curvier version of the company's next flagship, with a pop-up front camera and triple rear shooter purportedly in tow, which sounds a little too experimental for a highly anticipated brand debut at certain carriers.

The OnePlus 7 Pro is probably not coming to any US carriers

That makes the "regular" OnePlus 7, with its flat screen, waterdrop notch, dual rear-facing camera arrangement, and 6T-similar design language, the primary suspect here. But let's not forget about the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. It sounds hard to believe that US networks would partner with a Chinese company in the early 5G rollout stages, but OnePlus is definitely not facing as much scrutiny as Huawei or ZTE.

Lastly, there's a good chance we may actually have to wait a while longer to see the first OnePlus device endorsed by Sprint or Verizon. After all, if the company is still looking for "senior technical account managers" in New Jersey, Texas, Seattle, Bellevue, and Kansas, odds are this is a "project" that's barely getting started. Carrier certification is often a months-long process, so perhaps OnePlus is merely laying the groundwork for a 7T or 7T Pro here.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.